Irregular Periods And Infertility Challenges

By Chioma Umeha

Irregular or abnormal ovulation accounts for 30 per cent to 40 per cent of all cases of infertility. Having irregular periods, no periods, or abnormal bleeding often indicates that you are not ovulating, a condition known clinically as anovulation.

Although anovulation can usually be treated with fertility drugs, it is important to be evaluated for other conditions that could interfere with ovulation, such as thyroid conditions or abnormalities of the adrenal or pituitary glands.

Once your doctor has ruled out other medical conditions, he or she may prescribe fertility drugs to stimulate your ovulation.

The drug contained in both Clomid and Serophene (clomiphene) is often a first choice because it’s effective and has been prescribed to women for decades. Unlike many infertility drugs, it also has the advantage of being taken orally instead of by injection. It is used to induce ovulation and to correct irregular ovulation by increasing egg recruitment by the ovaries.

Clomiphene induces ovulation in most women with anovulation. Up to 10% of women who use clomiphene for infertility will have a multiple gestation pregnancy — usually twins. (In comparison, just 1% of the general population of women delivers twins.)

The typical starting dosage of clomphene is 50 milligrams per day for five days, beginning on the third, fourth, or fifth day after your period begins. You can expect to start ovulating about seven days after you’ve taken the last dose of clomiphene. If you don’t ovulate, the dose can be increased by 50 milligrams per day each month up to 150 mg. After you have begun to ovulate, most doctors suggest taking Clomid for  three to six months before referring to a specialist. If you have not gotten pregnant by then, you would try a different medication or get a referral to an infertility specialist.

These fertility drugs sometimes make the cervical mucus ‘hostile’ to sperm, keeping sperm from swimming into the uterus. This can be overcome by using artificial or intrauterine insemination(IUI)  -injecting specially prepared sperm directly into the uterus –  to fertilize the egg. It also thins the endometrial lining.

Depending on your situation, your doctor may also suggest other fertility drugs such as Gonal-F or other injectable hormones that stimulate follicles and stimulate egg development in the ovaries. These are the so-called ‘super-ovulation’ drugs. Most of these drugs are administered by injection just under the skin. Some of these hormones may overstimulate the ovaries (causing abdominal bloating and discomfort). This can be dangerous and require hospitalization; thus, your doctor will monitor you with frequent vaginal ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor estrogen levels. About 90 per cent of women ovulate with these drugs and between 20 per cent and 60 per cent become pregnant.